The updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) gives “significant weight to the benefits associated with renewable and low carbon energy generation and the proposal’s contribution to a net zero future” when determining planning applications.
Crucially, the revisions remove a controversial provision that previously allowed local authorities to block solar farms over food production concerns. Both the National Farmers Union and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband dismissed such fears earlier this year.
The NPPF now aligns more closely with National Policy Statements for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), declaring solar farms “critical national priority” infrastructure and recognising their “national security, economic, commercial and net zero benefits”.
Raising the bar for NSIP thresholds
A key change raises the threshold for solar farms considered as NSIPs from 50 megawatts to 100MW. This adjustment reflects advances in solar technology and addresses an artificial cap that deterred projects just above the 50MW limit.
Between 50MW and 99.9MW, no solar projects have been proposed under the previous threshold. The change should unlock stalled opportunities, speeding up decarbonisation and investment.
However, NSIPs do offer some advantages over local planning, including clearer processes and alignment with national policy.
Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK, welcomed the changes: “This is a package of reforms that should power up the solar market, moving the dial further towards decarbonisation and lower energy bills. Inserting further provisions on defining the ‘grey belt’ should also be helpful.”
Investing in planning resources
The reforms include a £100 million allocation to councils’ planning departments, addressing chronic under-resourcing. This investment is expected to reduce delays and improve decision-making times for renewable energy projects.
Hewett added: “Given the pros and cons, I think the solar industry will be happy to settle for a 100MW ceiling, less radical than the 150MW threshold that a consultation suggested in the summer.
“Given that a bigger concern has been chronic under-resourcing of planning officers, we are very pleased to see the pledge to allocate £100m to councils’ planning departments, which should make a real difference to decision-making times.”
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